Justin Xu’s fascination with the healthcare domain initiated during a commonplace event in every child’s journey: a visit to the pediatrician. After amassing “popsicle stick” tongue depressors at each appointment, he declared it as his aspirational career.
“I’ve always aspired to be a doctor,” Xu expressed. “In high school, that aspiration evolved into a desire to become an oncologist or a physician who concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. While attending college, I figured out that to delve deeper into these areas, I needed to pursue biology.”
Xu’s commitment to achieving academic excellence is paralleled by his dedication to assisting individuals who are often neglected and underprivileged. Following graduation, Xu intends to combine his community service with biomedical research while in medical school at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
In this reflection, Xu shares thoughts on influential coursework in Arts & Sciences alongside his leadership in community service initiatives both on campus and beyond.
What motivates you to guide others?
What attracted me from being a participant to taking on a leadership role is the chance to gather feedback and listen to all those I’m collaborating with. That’s a lesson I learned about leadership: effective leaders seek input rather than merely directing others on what to do.
Another aspect that appeals to me in leadership is the mentoring experience. Over my four years at WashU, I’ve had the chance to assist in leading several clubs and even founding new ones. Together with my co-founder, I established a club called the WashU Kindness Club. I also initiated the WashU Club Pickleball team. This has been invaluable in mentoring our fellow club members.
Which course had the greatest influence on you at WashU?
I enrolled in a course titled ‘Community Psychology,’ instructed by Seanna Leath in Arts & Sciences, which differed significantly from my other academic experiences. It was focused on community-based service endeavors and initiatives. A fundamental theory taught was about leading and developing projects in collaboration with the community while incorporating their perspectives at every stage.
Through a semester-long project, I was part of a team that devised a mock grant aimed at identifying health issues in St. Louis and creating a community-based approach to address them. We pinpointed food insecurity in certain areas of north St. Louis and East St. Louis, Ill. Our research highlighted how community gardens, nutritional education, and infrastructural improvements could assist local residents in accessing various grocery stores without needing to drive. Following that, I collaborated with Bhagya Kolli, assistant administrator of the East St. Louis Health Department, to help enact these solutions at their community garden by leading service initiatives and community-centered projects.
You have spearheaded numerous service initiatives. How have you incorporated the concept of community collaboration into your volunteering efforts?
While I was enrolled in the course, I served as the community service director for the Congress of the South 40 (the student government representing WashU’s residential area). I was responsible for organizing community service initiatives for students living in dorms, the Village, or student-owned residences off campus. Taking the ‘Community Psychology’ course significantly influenced my perspective on planning these community service projects.
When designing service initiatives, individuals often assume they have the best understanding of what the community needs. For example, they might think, ‘Let’s conduct a food drive or a blanket-making campaign.’ However, the individuals you aim to assist possess lived experiences, making them the true experts on their challenges.
What motivates you to engage in the community work you participate in?
Some of the service activities I engage in involve Health Protection and Education Services in University City. I volunteer there as a medical interpreter for Chinese immigrant patients. My personal connection fuels my commitment to supporting this demographic since I was born in China and emigrated here at the age of 5. Adjusting to a new culture and learning a different language was a uniquely powerful experience. I witnessed the struggles faced by immigrants in America. Due to language and cultural barriers, they often feel apprehensive when consulting physicians in the U.S., postponing their appointments until they can return to China, which can pose risks. This experience deeply motivated me to assist immigrant and refugee populations at that clinic.
I am also passionate about enhancing access to quality care and expanding availability of advanced medical services in communities that are medically underserved, such as screenings and blood tests for advanced cancers to identify risk factors at an early stage.
The post Class Acts: Justin Xu first appeared on The Source.